Paris to Rome by Rail
Paris to Rome by Rail
Paris to Rome by Rail
10 Days Starting in Paris and ending in Rome
Visiting: Paris, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lucerne Mount Pilatus , Ticino Region Gotthard Panorama Express, Ticino Region, Rome
Tour Overview
Take a ten-day rail-only adventure from Paris to Rome. You’ll start in the City of Lights, then you’ll zoom to Switzerland for a mountain getaway. In Lausanne, see the iconic Cathedral and maybe visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Vineyard Terraces of Lavaux for a wine tasting, then head to Lucerne for incredible views of the lake and surrounding Alps on Mount Pilatus. Take the Gotthard Panorama Express to the city of Bellinzona, where you’ll hop on another cable car for more mountain views. Make your way to Rome, where you’ll have plenty of free time to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World and sit down to a fresh lunch with an Intrepid Foundation partner, Cooperativa Coraggio.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Paris
Location: Paris
Accommodation: Hotel
Bonjour! Welcome to France. Your adventure begins in Paris – the City of Lights, known for its romance, delicious cuisine and amazing art scene. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, followed by a leader-led orientation walk to experience the buzz of Paris as night falls. If you arrive early, why not explore the city at your own pace. Maybe grab a traditional baguette, a buttery croissant and some local meats and fruits and have a picnic by the Eiffel Tower. If you’d like to tick off bucket list sites like the Louvre or walking the Champs-Elysees, today is also your best opportunity. After tonight's meeting, you have the option to head out for a welcome dinner with your group to get to know each other better and be introduced to the wonderful local food.
Included Activities:
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Day 2: Lausanne
Location: Lausanne
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today, you have a free morning in Paris. Maybe grab some iconic baked goods and stroll along the River Seine or get to know Montmartre and why this district has attracted artists for generations. After a chance to grab some lunch, you’ll board the train to Lausanne in Switzerland – sitting on the banks of Lake Geneva, this French-speaking city is home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters. When you arrive, walk to your hotel and depending on the group’s interests, maybe head out on an orientation walk with your leader to get your bearings. Tonight, you’re free to explore the city after dark – your leader will have some great recommendations for dinner.
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Day 3: Lausanne
Location: Lausanne
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast this morning, head to the Lausanne Cathedral – seen as one of the most beautiful gothic art monuments in Europe, this cathedral overlooks the city. After wandering around and heading to the top for some great city views, you’ll head to a bakery to sample a delicious local pastry. Then, you have a free afternoon for lunch and further explorations. Maybe take a boat tour this afternoon on the Leman Lake or visit the Olympic Museum to learn the history of the games. Maybe head to Lavaux Vineyards – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and indulge in a wine tasting. You could also book a chocolate-tasting tour (the Swiss are known for their chocolate)!
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Day 4: Lucerne
Location: Lucerne
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Walk to the station to catch a train from Lausanne to Lucerne. Watch the gorgeous Swiss scenery pass you by from the comfort of your carriage and arrive in time for lunch. Lucerne is known for its medieval architecture, colourful Old Town and views of snowcapped mountains and it’s a bit of a foodie’s paradise so you’ll have plenty of great options. After, take a walk on the Museggmauer Walls surrounding Lucerne with your local leader. Dominating the skyline, the Musegg Wall and the nine Musegg Towers formed part of the town’s fortifications, and today, walking along the ramparts is a popular activity for locals and visitors. Stop for a drink at the Hinter Misegg farm – an organic farm right in the heart of the city. Look out for the resident alpacas, Highland cattle, mini pigs, hens and goats, then enjoy a free evening. Maybe rent a paddle boat on the lake or hop on the Cityboat, one of the most popular ways to see the city.
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Day 5: Lucerne Mount Pilatus
Location: Lucerne Mount Pilatus
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today, you’re in for a treat as your group heads to Lucerne’s Mount Pilatus for the 3-hour Silver Tour. One of the best ways to see the surrounding peaks, your tour takes you on a journey by railway, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway and panorama gondola for incredible views of Mount Pilatus and the Swiss Alps. Departing from the main railway station in Lucerne, the central railway train will take you along the shores of Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad. There, you’ll hop on the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, riding all the way up to the summit of the mountain. Here, you can find fine dining options, hiking options, a concert space and amazing panoramic views of the Alps and the Alpine massif. You’ll then take the aerial cableway and gondolas on the ‘Dragon Ride’ to the valley. After an incredible morning, you have a free afternoon to take up any optional activities you didn’t get a chance to complete yesterday.
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Day 6: Ticino Region Gotthard Panorama Express
Location: Ticino Region Gotthard Panorama Express
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy a leisurely morning before leaving Lucerne and making your way to Ticino Region on the Gotthard Panorama Express. Travelling from central to southern Switzerland, this scenic train and boat journey is a popular experience as it offers more than just transit from A to B – on both scenic train car and boat, you'll pass mountain vistas, blue lakes, sleepy villages and rolling hills. When you arrive in Bellinzona in the late afternoon, take a quick orientation walk with your leader to get your bearings, then your evening is free. Known for its three imposing medieval castles and surrounding views of the Alps, the atmosphere is perfect for a self-paced walking tour. If you’re looking for a cosy spot for dinner, just ask your expert leader for the best recommendations.
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Day 7: Ticino Region
Location: Ticino Region
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Take another excursion up into the mountains today. Take a bus to the starting point of an easy hike, then head out on the trail for some unbeatable views of the Alps and a bird’s eye view of the city. Take some time to wander around, then head back to the city. Your afternoon is free, so you might like to visit the Castle of Bellinzona or The Municipal Museum of Villa dei Cedri – this suburban villa features gardens, historical architecture and regional art from the 19th century to present day works.
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Day 8: Rome
Location: Rome
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Travel to ‘The Eternal City’ of Rome. Leaving Switzerland behind, board a morning train to Milan, where you’ll then change for the capital of Italy. Today’s a bit of a travel day, so take the opportunity to get to know your group a little better or grab a window seat and watch the scenery change from the mountains of Switzerland to the oranges and terracotta hues of Italy. When you arrive in Rome, you’ll head out with your leader for an orientation walk of the city. Home to popular sites like the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – there is no shortage of things to see and do in Rome. With your free afternoon and evening, you might like to take a tour of the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, visit the Pantheon, tour Vatican City or walk through the trendy areas within Trastevere in search of the best pasta, sandwich, gelato, homemade pizza or glass of vino.
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Day 9: Rome
Location: Rome
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Wake up to the exciting buzz of Rome and head out to visit an Intrepid Foundation partner – Cooperativa Coraggio. Set in the serene countryside, this organisation addresses the various social and environmental needs of Italian communities by regenerating unused public lands with organic, sustainable agriculture. Learn what they do here and watch a short cooking demonstration using fresh, locally harvested products that you’ll then sit down and enjoy for lunch. Return to Rome, where your last evening is free to visit the Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Piazza Venezia, St Peter's Basilica or anywhere you didn’t get a chance to see yesterday. Don’t forget to do as the Romans do and sip an espresso at one of the tiny streetside cafes! Tonight, why not head out for a final dinner with your group and toast to your adventures with a glass of wine?
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Day 10: Rome
Location: Rome
Meals Included: breaksfast
With no further activities planned, your trip ends after breakfast. If you’d like to extend your adventures, maybe consider booking yourself onto ZMSV as well and extend your rail journey across Europe. If you’d like to stay on in Rome, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (9 nights) -
Meals
9 breakfasts, 1 lunches -
Paris - Orientation Walk
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Paris - Welcome Meeting
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Lucerne - Orientation Walk
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Lucerne - Walk on the Museggmauer Walls
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Lucerne - Mount Pilatus Silver Circle Tour
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Bellinzona - Orientation Walk
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Bellinzona - Leader led hike
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Rome - Orientation Walk
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Rome - Visit of Cooperativa Coraggio, The Intrepid Foundation partner
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Rome - Cooperativa Coraggio cooking demonstration and lunch
Transport
- TRAINS
- The main mode of transportation on this trip is by train. European long-distance and inter-regional trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Regional and metropolitan trains are usually a bit more basic and can be quite busy, but this just adds to the experience. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long (and short) distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre of your next destination.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
- CHECK-IN TIME
- Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
- PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
- If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
- FACILITIES
- Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
- SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
- A Single Supplement is bookable for this trip. Availability is limited due to small properties that we use. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- TRAIN TRAVEL
- The primary form of transportation on this trip are scheduled local and intercity trains.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
If you love avoiding airport queues, this is the trip for you! As public transport is the predominant form of transport on this trip, we highly recommend packing as lightly as possible as you will be expected to carry your own bags on and off trains as well as to and from your accommodation.
If travelling to Paris from London we highly recommend using the fast Eurostar train from London's St Pancras station. At under 2.5 hours travel time and with no airport queues, this is by far the most convenient travel option. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions